Camera nerds listen up. Fujifilm South Africa has just announced a duo of cameras bolstering the company’s X Series and GFX large format cameras. Those are the mid-range X-T50, setting your wallet back R26,000, and the far more expensive GFX100S II, expected to retail for R93,500. Both devices are slated to hit shelves in June.
Both cameras will debut alongside new lenses, too. For the more conformist X Series, there’s the Fujinon XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR. But if your camera obsession (and pockets) run deeper, the new GF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR “adds considerable range to the GFX series.” These go for R13,000 and R65,000 respectively for the privilege of owning one.
The not-so-mid X-T50
While the X-T50 camera is technically a mid-ranger, Fujifilm makes it clear that “it is all but mid when it comes to performance and specifications.” The X-T50 is a sequel to the company’s X-T30 II (Fujifilm skipped over the X-T40 name entirely) which launched in 2021, though you wouldn’t think so by looking at it. It features a curvier shape than the rest while holding onto the small and lightweight shell that’s synonymous with the X Series.
Inside that small body is the 40.2-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor and X-Processor 5, mimicking that of Fujifilm’s excellent X-T5 and X-H2. That all translates to vastly improved image quality, 1/180000-second electronic shutter speed and 6.2K/30P video recording capabilities. The X-T50 is also bumping up the X Series’ low-light powers, with the 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) function with up to 7.0-stops.
The standout feature here is easily the new ‘Film Simulation dial’ sitting atop the camera’s head. “This allows users to easily switch between 20 different Film Simulations, including Velvia, Classic Chrome and the new REALA ACE. Each has unique colour and tone properties, which changes the look and feel of the images to resemble the different types of vintage 35mm film,” Fujifilm said in a press release.
Read More: Fujifilm X-T5 review – Getting back together with your X
The GFX100S II isn’t for the normies
It’s been five years since Fujifilm let the GFX100S camera loose, leaving its fans plenty of time to save up for the R93,500 follow-up, the GFX100S II. Right? If you’ve got the cash lying around, Fujifilm will reward buyers with a “newly developed” GFX 102MP CMOS II high-speed sensor, and the same X-Processor 5 found in the X-T50.
It also happens to be lighter than its 2019 counterpart, clocking in at 883g — holding the title for lightest GFX system camera yet.
“The GFX100S II offers not only rich tonal expression and three-dimensional rendering capabilities, made possible by the unique characteristics of the large format sensor, but it also features AI-based subject detection, greatly evolving the autofocus from its predecessor,” Fujifilm notes.
Read More: Fujifilm’s new GFX100 II large-format camera has… well, a large sensor
The GFX100S II also improves upon the continuous shooting speed, getting up to 7.0fps. The system’s IBIS has also seen an upgrade, now able to achieve a maximum of eight-stop five-axis performance. As for the II’s video functionality, it can shoot in 4K/30P.
‘Pixel Shift Multi-Shot’ is another new feature highlighted by Fujifilm, which it says can generate an image with “approximately 400 million pixels” by shifting the sensor inside with “high precision”. We’ll take two, thanks.
